Tire prices keep climbing, and I’ll admit I get a little nervous when making invoices these days. Well, that’s just how things are, I suppose.
Now, we have a very rare Yamaha SR400 at our shop. The owner brings it in once every two years, so we’ll make sure to give it a thorough maintenance.
Today’s tire and suspension maintenance log
Target vehicle: Yamaha SR400 (Spoke wheel setup)
Tires used: DUNLOP TT100GP
Background of the request: Ahead of tire price increases due to rising raw material and logistics costs, we proactively refreshed the front and rear tires which had reduced tread depth and hardened rubber.
Key maintenance points: The golden rule of tube tire replacement—simultaneous replacement of tubes and rim bands. We carefully removed rust and burrs from inside the spoke rim, cleaned and greased the axle shafts, and balanced the wheels to achieve both classic aesthetics and premium rolling feel!
We managed to squeeze it in just in time ( ﾟДﾟ) The rare front size 90/100-18 is no longer available.
Consumables like tires, sprockets, pads, and brake discs are often out of stock when you need them urgently these days. You really need to plan ahead to avoid problems.
Quickly remove and swap the tires.
Our manual tire changer can also handle tube-type tires. *It takes a bit of technique, but it’s far more reliable than doing it by hand.
Inserting the tube into the tire first before assembly is much faster. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot. It’s a real eye-opener! *Remove the valve stem and inflate slightly.
Since we can’t use a wheel stopper, we have to hold it by hand while inserting. If you approach it with the mindset of understanding the tire’s feelings—love saves the earth—the process goes smoothly.
After installing a tube-type tire, it’s essential to check both sides to make sure the tube isn’t sticking out. It rarely happens, but checking gives you peace of mind.
Working with nearly 100% accuracy ensures efficiency.
Fresh rubber always looks great
Now the responsive handling is back to life. You’ll really feel how much fresh tires matter! (*´ω｀*)
Engine oil: Shell Advance 4T Ultra
Dry sump tank on the frame side. Case side on the back. Oil filter in an awkward spot. There’s a lot of masking involved, and compared to modern bikes, the work is tediously time-consuming.
It was surprisingly dirty. With bikes that hold less engine oil like this, the performance improvement after an oil change is really noticeable.
The stock molding on the underguard is disappointing. I wish manufacturers wouldn’t use double-sided tape or adhesive for this type of molding. From the maker’s perspective, they probably want to cut costs by even a penny.
Using our trusty metal-core molding ensures perfect fit on any complex shape. And it’s easy to remove and replace too. Making small improvements like this boosts motivation during work, and the result is a machine that’s finished to perfection in every detail.
Topic: Refreshing front and rear tires with DUNLOP TT100GP before scheduled price increases. Details: Happy Wednesday night from the Decoboco tech bay! Tonight’s maintenance log covers a classic tire upgrade on a Yamaha SR400. To beat upcoming manufacturer price revisions, we replaced the aged, hardened tires with Dunlop’s iconic TT100GP. While preserving the heritage aesthetic that perfectly suits vintage thumper styling, the TT100GP compound delivers modern high-grip confidence and nimble cornering. We also replaced the inner tubes and rim bands, cleaned inner rim corrosion, and precision-balanced the wheels while fresh grease was applied to the axle shafts. Verdict: The refreshed tire profile and friction-free axle setup completely transform low-speed rolling resistance and cornering stability. Never compromise on fresh rubber!
ポチップ
